College football's National Championship takes centerstage today, but before we get to the Ohio State vs. Notre Dame game, there's some college basketball value to be had.
I'm targeting three games throughout the day on Monday for your betting card.
So, here's my college basketball best bets, including three top picks and predictions for Monday, January 20.
College Basketball Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college basketball betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 1 p.m. | |
  | 6:30 p.m. | |
  | 7 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAB Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
William & Mary vs. UNC Wilmington
William & Mary sits atop the Coastal Athletic standings at 5-0. Picked seventh in the league’s preseason poll, the Tribe have exhibited a rapid turnaround under new coach Brian Earl.
Scan under the surface, though, and the Tribe’s resume has some weakness. They've beaten three teams who sit outside the KenPom top 240, and a home win over stout foe Elon is less impressive knowing that the Phoenix were missing a key starter.
Earl is a great coach, but William & Mary won't run away with the CAA title. This spot is perfect for it to come back to the crowd.
UNC Wilmington is a fearsome home team. Trask Coliseum gets rabid, and with a massive league showdown coming, expect a strong crowd – even for an early weekday tip. The Seahawks are a CAA force, having gone 39-15 over the last three conference campaigns.
From a matchup perspective, UNCW can take advantage of William & Mary’s soft interior defense. Earl’s defensive principles have yet to take hold in Williamsburg, and the Tribe rank 298th nationally in 2-point percentage defense.
The price is about right, but I trust the spot for UNCW. I wouldn't bet this past -6, but I love the Seahawks at home in a midday showdown.
Pick: UNC Wilmington -5 (Play to -6)
Rutgers vs. Penn State
Dylan Harper is back.
Rutgers is a different team when its superstar freshman point guard is right. The Scarlet Knights dropped three straight contests when illness gripped him.
After a DNP in a blowout loss at Indiana, he tried to play in home games against Wisconsin and Purdue. That was a mistake, as he managed a meager six total points in 43 combined minutes against those two foes. He looked like a shell of himself, and unsurprisingly, Rutgers lost both games by a combined 30 points.
The last two contests, though, he's rediscovered the All-American form he showed to start the season. In wins over UCLA at home and at Nebraska, Harper has posted averages of 19.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. The Scarlet Knights go as he goes.
It’s just in time for a rematch, too. Rutgers barely topped Penn State in Piscataway, 80-76, back on Dec. 10. Harper went nuts (24 points, 12 rebounds, five assists), and he’s crucial against Penn State’s pressure. The Nittany Lions rank 21st nationally in forced turnover rate, per KenPom, so having Harper’s steady hand on the ball is vital.
The handicap may seem simple, but sometimes, that’s the way to approach the sport. When Harper is right, Steve Pikiell's unit is an entirely different team. He looks right now, so I’ll ride the Scarlet Knights’ hot streak.
Pick: Rutgers +7.5 (Play to +5.5)
Bucknell vs. Colgate
The Patriot League should be named the Colgate Invitational. In the past four seasons, the Raiders went 60-6 in league play and won all four Patriot League Tournaments.
A shaky non-conference performance cast doubt upon whether the Raiders would continue their league dominance, as Matt Langel’s squad went a dismal 2-10 against Division I foes.
But that performance was shaded by two hugely mitigating factors: an extremely young team (289th in Division I experience, per KenPom) and an injury to vital center Jeff Woodward.
The great news for the Raiders is the green backcourt has earned some reps, looking more like a Raider unit of the past few seasons. And like the Death Star before it destroyed Alderaan, Woodward is now fully operational. Now into the Patriot season, Colgate looks to be rounding right back into form.
Langel’s Raiders are 5-1 in league play, and they've covered three straight games. Star point Jalen Cox even missed a game in the middle of that span, but he's back now. With the Raiders’ full-strength lineup intact, they blew out Lafayette by 23 points on Saturday as a one-point favorite.
Bucknell is a formidable foe. In his second season, John Griffin III has built an outstanding defense. The Bison even beat Colgate on Sunday, Jan. 5, by six points in Lewisburg, PA.
This rematch sets up for some revenge for the Raiders, though. With that edge – and still being undervalued in the market, by my estimation — I would bet this up to -7.
Pick: Colgate -6.5 (Play to -7)
